Envelope-fastening device



Nov. 2U', 1923. fl/G P. L. ANDREWS ENVELOPE FASTENING DEVICE Filed April 26, 1921 ATTO R N EY5 m Patented Nov. 2U, i923.

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PRESTON L. ANDRE'WS, 0F BROOKLYN; NEW' YORK.

ENVELOPE-FASTENENG DEVICE.

application ala April 2e, rss2] serial no. 556,583.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, Pension L. Annanws, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelope- Fastening Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artk to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

rllhis invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement of envelope fastening means.

The invention has for its principal object to provide an improved construction of metallic clasp or fastener for envelopes of the kind having laterally projecting arms capable of being upturned to pass through a perforation in the envelope flap, and then bent back to extend over the marginal portions surrounding the said perforation to thereby retain the Hap in closed position. To this end the arm or arms are formed in such a manner as to assure their bending at t0 points adjacent vto the juncture of the arms with the main body or support of the fastener, thus preventing undue or undesired deformation of the arms, and predetermining the bending points to the end that, when up-turned, the arms will readily and easily pass through the perforation of the flap.

Another object of this invention is to provide anarrangement of metallic fastener for envelopes of such form thatl the tips of the fastener -arms are normally inclined or bent downwardly from the plane of the main portion ofthe arm, so that the same may offer a minimum of projection above the plane of the iap when turned downwardly over the latter, thus reducing the likelihood` they are bent down in holding relation to the envelope flap.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of the same. V

rhe invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which :h

Figure l is a rear face view of an envelope and its flap provided with the novel fastening means made. according to and embodying the principles of this invention; Figure 2 is a detail vertical section, taken on line in Figure l, but drawn on an enlarged scale; Figure 3 is a detail fragmentary section of the envelope flap and reenforcing discs, showing the free end of the fastener arm as operatively related to the outer disc, said view being drawn 0n, a further enlarged scale; Figure 4 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 2, but illustrating the flap reenforced by a disc on the outer side only; Figure 5 is a fragmentary rear face view of an envelope and its flap, the latter having a modified form of reenforcing disc for cooperation with the fastener, and Figure 6 isa vertical section through the same, taken on line 6 6 in F ignre 5 and drawn on an enlarged scale; Figure 7 is a fragmentary rear face view of an envelope and its flap, the latter having still another modified form of reenforcing disc for cooperation with the fastener, and Figure 8 is a vertical section through the same, tal-:en on line 8-8 in Figure 7, and drawn on an enlarged scale; Figure 9 is a fragmentary rear face view of an envelope and its flap, showing the fastener in operative relation thereto, but the flap reenforcing discs being omitted; and Figure l() is a perspective view of the metallic fastener alone, drawn on an enlarged scale.

Similar characters of reference are eniployed in all of the hereinabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to said drawings, the reference character ll indicates an envelope body provided at its open end with' a flap 12 adapted for folding over said open end upon the back of said body. Said flap is provided with a suitably placed perforation or hole 13. Adhesively and respectively secured to the outer and inner faces of said Hap is an outer perforate reenforcing disc lil and an inner perfo-rate reenforcing'disc l5, which have their perforations registered or alined with the flap perforation or hole 13, and which are adapted to reenforce the marginal portions of the flap surrounding said perforation or hole13. Said discs 14 and 15 are preferablv made of paper, but the same Inav be made of other suitable material if desired.

The novel metallic fastener comprises a main portion or base 16, preferably having a tubular shank 17 projecting downwardly therefrom adapted to be passed through the body of the envelope and riveted or upset over the inner side of the body, as at 18, to secure the fastener to said envelope body. Integrally formed in connection with said main portion or base` 16, so as to project outwardly from the rim Vor periphery thereof, are one or more fastener arms 19 which normally lie substantially in the horizontal plane ofsaid main portion or base 16. Said arms 19 are widest at their inner ends, as at 20, the sides 21 tapering` or converging toward their outer extremities. The wide inner ends 20 are integrally joined to said main portion or base 16 by restricted necks 22 of substantially reduced width relative to the wide inner ends 20 and said mainV portion or base 16, thus reducing the amount and area of metal at the juncture of said arms 19 with the main portion or base 16, and thereby establishing` a point of bend, so that when up-turned the arms will bend relative to said main portion or base 16 at said restricted necks 22, since said points, by reason of the reduced amount and area of metal there provided, offer the least resistance to the bending operation, and therefore assure that the arms 19 will bend uniformly upwardly at such points without danger of otherwise unduly deforming the main bodies of said arms. Said arms 19 terminate at their outerextremities in downwardly inclined or bent tip portions 23, thus normally projecting the ends of the arms 10 toward the envelope flap, when said arms are normally bent downward to flat holding relation to the flap.

In most cases it is desirable to make the outer reenforcing disc 14 of a diameter somewhat greater than the longitudinal spread of the fastening arms 19, when the latter are turned down to fastening position, and then providing inthe outer surface of said reenforcing disc 14 countersunk seats or depressions 24, into which the downwardly .inclined tip portions 23 of the arms 19 will be received. When said tip-portions are thus disposed relative to the seats or depres sions 24, the ends of the arms 19 are guarded against being caught or subjected to accidental engagement whereby accidental force is applied thereto tending to lift or bend upwardly the arms from normal fastening position. Any article or mail matter sliding against the ends of the arms 19 thus guarded to permit the flap to pull away therefrom and thus open the envelope.

In Figure 4 I have illustrated an envelope,

and its perforated flap, providedwith my 'Y novel metallic fastening means, but showingV the employment of only the outer reenforcing disc 14. In operation and construction this form -is otherwise the same as above described. Y

VIn Figures 5 and 6 I have illustrated an envelope, and its perforated flap, provided with my novel metallic fastener, but showing a. modified form of reenforcing disc surrounding the perforation of the flap. InV

this case instead of en'iploying an outer reenforcing disc of greater diameter than the spread of the arms of the fastener, as was the disc 14 above described, I provide an outer reenforcing disc 25 of less diameter than the spread of the arms 19 of the fastener, so that the downwardly inclined or bent tip-portions 23 of said arms 19 project beyond the periphery ofthe disc E25 to incline downwardly tothe body of the envelope flap. This arrangement of the tipportions places the same below the plane of the disc face, and the periphery of the disc together with the inclined facefof the tipportion serve to guard the arm 19 against being caught and accidentally lifted out of normal holding relation to the flap.

In Figures 7 and 8 I have shownV an envelope, and its perforate flap, provided with my novel metallic fastener, but showing in connection therewith a still further modified form of reenforcing disc surrounding the perforation of the flap. In this case I employ an outer reenforcing disc 26 ofa diameter approximately equalto the spread of the arms 19 of the fastener. This disc 26 is provided in its periphery with indented portions or notches 27, so thatrwhen the arms 19 are turned down across the face of the disc, the tip-portions 23 of said arms will be disposed within the said indented portions or notches 27, whereby the outer ends of the arms are guarded against accidental engagement by anythingtending to lift the arms out of normal holding relation to the flap.

It is in some cases desirable to employ my novel metallic fastener with envelopes havmg a flap provided with asuitable hole or perforation from about which the r-eenforcing discs are omitted, an example of this arrangement is shown in Fig. 9. Even in this case the downwardly inclined tipportions 23 of the arms 19 tend to resist and shunt off the accidental engagement therewith of anything tending toi lift the arms 19 out of normal holding relation to the flap.

From the above description it will be apparent that my present invention not only provides a novel metallic fastener per se for envelopes, but also provides in combination with such fastener novel means for further guarding the same against accidental displacement once the fastening arms thereof are firmly pressed do-wn into normal holding engagement with the envelope iiap.

I am aware that some changes may be made in the various arrangements and oombinations of the several devices and parts without departing from the scope of my invention as above set forth and as defined in the appended claims. Hence. I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of said devices and parts as hereinabove set forth, nor do I confine myself to the exact details of the construction thereof as shown in the accompanying drawings.

I claim 1. The combination with an envelope and its perforate flap, of a vperforate reenforcing disc secured to said flap in registration with the perforation of the latter, a metallic fastener, comprising a base having means for securing the same to the envelope body beneath the flap and alined with the perforation thereof, fastener arms integrally connected with said base to extend outwardly from the periphery thereof and normally disposed 1n the plane thereof, the free extremity of said arms terminating in downwardly inclined tip-portions; and said reenforcing disc having suitably disposed recesses to receive said downwardly inclined tip-portions.

2. The combination with an envelope and its perforate flap, of a perforate reenforcing disc secured to said flap in registration with the perforation of the latter; a metallicfastener, comprising a base having means for securing the same to the envelope body beneath the iiap and alined with the perforation thereof, fastener arms extending in opposite direction from and normally disposed in the plane of said base, each arm having at its inner end a neck portion of reduced width integrally joined with the periphery of said base, said neck portions being adapted to reduce the amount and area of metal at the juncture of said arms with said base to thereby establish the bending points of said arms, the free extremities of said arms terminating in downwardly inclined tip-portions; and said reenforcing disc having suitably disposed recesses to receive said downwardly inclined tip-portions.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto t my hand this 14th day of April, 1922.

PRESTON L. ANDREWS.

Witnesses:

GEORGE D. RICHARDS, MARION M. BANTA. 

